After 16 years of drought, the Boston Celtics are Champions of the National Basketball Association. Ironically, the Celtics clinched the championship on June 17, 2024, matching the date they won the title in 2008. There is a symmetry in the date, given that the Boston area code is 617. The Celtics were crowned champions in a euphoric and ecstatic home crowd in TD Garden Arena. The Celtics were bruised in the heel by the Mavericks in Game 4, with Dallas ending Boston’s 10-game winning streak. The team was down by 48 points at one point and ultimately lost by 38 points. Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd admitted after the game, “our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate.” The Celtics took Kidd’s words to heart and played with vengeance in Game 5. The Celtics won Game five 106-88 in the first wire-to-wire victory to clinch a title since Boston did it in 1986. In this article, we discuss three reasons why the Celtics were able to climb to the mountaintop and capture the championship in Game 5.
1. Dominant Defense- the Celtics have an outstanding record of 31-0 in the playoffs entering Game 5 when they hold teams under 100 points. The defense lacked intensity in Game 4 and got hemorrhaged in giving up 122 points. In Game 5, the Celtics were like wolves stalking and attacking their prey. The Mavericks’ offense was in flux in the first quarter by scoring only 18 points in the first quarter enabling a 10-point lead after the first intermission. The Mavericks were held to 21 points each in the third and fourth quarters with their highest output of 28 points in the second quarter. The Celtics were the aggressive team by getting deflections and grabbing the loose balls after registering 9 steals, forcing 13 turnovers and 16 points off mistakes. In the end, the Mavericks could only muster 88 points and were held to under 100 points in their loss. The theory was proven correct that defense wins championships.
2. The Celtics dynamic duo was better- Luka Doncic was probably the best offensive player in the series, but the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown proved they are the best two-way combo. Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 50 points in Game 4, and the big question was whether they could replicate the feat on the road. The duo struggled from the field, and at one point, were an identical 2 of 7 from the field. Doncic eventually climbed out of the slump to finish with 28 points and five assists but an inefficient 2 of 9 from three-pointers. However, Irving struggled in another return to Boston by scoring 15 points, 5 of 16 from the field, and the duo were a combined -30 while on the court. On the other hand, Tatum led from the front in attacking the defense, and making the right play for his teammates with 11 assists. Then, Jayson poured in the buckets in the second half by scoring 31 points in total to seal the win. Brown played a supportive role in this game by scoring 21 points, but based on the totality of the series, he was selected as the 2024 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP.
3. Role Players Excelled-in a sport where fans celebrate the superstars, the Boston Celtics are champions because of the collective group, including their role players. Jrue Holiday scored 15 points, an efficient 7 of 14 from the field, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Kristaps Porzingis was in doubt for this game after suffering a rare ankle injury in Game 2, but he selflessly came off the bench to play 16 minutes, score 5 points, and provide a moral boost to his team. In Game 5, we saw Sam Houser contribute 8 points off the bench, including two three-pointers and playing good defense, although many consider him the weak link on that end of the floor. One of the most underrated moments in this clincher was Peyton Pritchard hitting a half-court three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to seize the momentum after Doncic made a layup to cut the lead to 18 points. This team won games as a unit, and ultimately banner 18 will be in the rafters because of the contribution of the role players.